An expanding wine legacy built on quality and drinkability | Canada Voices

As chief enologist and CEO of Marchesi Antinori, Renzo Cotarella oversees a family-owned company that has been making wine since 1385. The business expanded from its home in Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region, where it helped spearhead the Super Tuscan wine movement with the introduction of Tignanello in 1971. Today, its operations are based in different parts of Italy as well as Chile, California and Washington State. Having worked with the Antinori family since 1971, Cotarella takes a long view, letting winemaking teams tailor their approach to the style of wine that best expresses the vineyards. “We try not to be influenced by the day-to-day market,” he explained during an interview at New York Wine Experience.

There’s a lot of doom and gloom as the wine industry grapples with declining sales and decreased consumption. What is Antinori’s view?

In 640 years, we have seen many things. When things are going well, everyone gets excited. When there’s something negative, people get more cynical than what’s the reality. The wine business remains a wonderful business. It is still very strong. People are concerned about the level of consumption, but the level of consumption around the world is the same as it was in 2019.

How does a family business that extends across 27 generations plan for the future?

To bring Antinori to the next generation, we need to have the right quality and the right style. Working with [the head of the family, Marchese] Piero, I am lucky to understand the soul of Antinori. The style of the wines belongs to the family; it’s not a reflection of the winemaker. To build a long-lasting reputation, you need to take a step-by-step, brick-by-brick approach.

The Antinoris’ success has been fuelled by innovation. How do you balance the traditional aspects of wine with keeping current with new approaches?

Tradition is important. Tradition leads innovation, which in the wine business might be a new [grape] variety, a new process, a new style. There is a lot to innovate. Wine is made according to the palate. I don’t have the same palate I had 30 years ago. There are different vintages, different approaches, different styles, different wines. … We work to express the place, which quite often is more important than the [grape] variety. The place leads the variety to ripen in a certain way. That’s the beauty of wine, that’s why it is so attractive in my opinion.

Many large companies centralize operations to create efficiencies. Why do you encourage winemakers in different parts of the world embrace the individuality of their vineyards?

Great wine is a result of variety, place and vintage. We try to maintain these three elements clearly in each bottle of wine made. For us, it’s the reason why we make wine. Precision in wine allows the wine to express what it is, to express its soul. That’s why in the last 30 and 40 years, we became growers. In the past, we were more inclined to buy grapes. Now all the wines that have the signature of Antinori come from our own vineyards. You understand how to grow grapes according to the wine you want to make. It’s more important to build the wine than make it by blending this and that.

How do you define quality across all the different wines, different prices, different styles produced each year?

The wine must be pleasant. That’s why you drink it. It must be pleasant with personality. What we try to do, sometimes with success, sometimes with difficulty, is make wines that are refined and balanced. Whether the bottle costs $10 or $200, the approach must be the same. I am a strong believer in finesse. At every price, the wine must have a pleasant personality and drinkability.

Guado al Tasso 2021 (Italy), $204.95

A stylish cabernet and merlot blend from the Antinori estate in Bolgheri, this shows remarkable freshness and finesse at this early stage of development. It is ripe and polished, with an impressive core of fruit and oak-derived flavours that gain interest from a medicinal/ pine accent on the finish. Drink now to 2038. Available at the above price in Ontario, $219.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.

Guado al Tasso Vermentino 2023 (Italy), $33.95

The first vintage of vermentino from the Guado al Tasso estate was produced in 1996. This bright and expressive white wine from Bolgheri displays classic vermentino fruit and floral notes, with citrus, peach and blossom flavours. Serious texture and persistence add to the enjoyment. Drink now to 2028. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in British Columbia and Alberta.

Pian della Vigne Rosso di Montalcino 2022 (Italy), $39.95

The Antinori estate near Montalcino is a consistent source of expressive and age-worthy Brunellos. This red-label rosso is also satisfying. Made from 100-per-cent sangiovese, it is nicely layered, with sweet and savoury flavours that contribute complexity to an enjoyable and structured red wine. Drink now to 2032. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta, $33.75 in Quebec, $39.29 in New Brunswick.

Tignanello 2021 (Italy), $192.95

The 50th anniversary edition for Tignanello is full-bodied and fragrant, thanks to the personality of the blend of sangiovese with cabernets sauvignon and franc. It’s serendipitous that such a serious and refreshing wine was produced to honour the milestone vintage. The mix of black cherry and blackcurrant with floral, licorice and leather notes promises to evolve into something complex and integrated with time. Drink now to 2046. Available at the above price in Ontario, $189.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta.